The United Nations has expressed fears for the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in El Fasher of North Darfur State as fighting engulfs the city.
According to a Wednesday press release on the remarks to the Security Council on the situation in the Sudan by Assistant-Secretary-General Martha Pobee, there was another escalation of fighting in El Fasher, that had further exposed the extremely vulnerable population, including the internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in large camps near the town.
“This recent intensification is occurring as devastating clashes continue in many other parts of Sudan, including around Greater Khartoum and Sennar,” Pobee is quoted saying.
According to the press statement, independent sources had reported a fresh round of large-scale fighting in El Fasher on September 12. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reportedly launched a coordinated attack on the city from multiple directions, to which the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their armed affiliates responded immediately and for days.
The press release said the current wave of fighting marked the latest chapter of violence in El Fasher and occurred amidst a months-long siege and attack on the city at the hands of RSF.
“For months,” explained the press release, “international partners have engaged individually and collectively in trying to secure a de-escalation of the situation and prevent more suffering in El Fasher. This Council has adopted resolution 2736 calling on the Rapid Support Forces to halt the siege of El Fasher and for an immediate end to the fighting. Yet, prevention efforts to avert a further military escalation in El Fasher have failed.”
It disclosed that the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, had directly engaged the belligerents, including during the proximity talks in Geneva in July, and supported the mediation efforts of the US, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland in August.
While asserting that the protection of civilians is the responsibility of the Government of the Sudan, the press release urged all the warring parties to respect and uphold their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.
It stated that RSF submitted a set of unilateral commitments to the Secretary-General on how to strengthen the protection of civilians pursuant to the conclusion of the proximity talks in Geneva in July, under the auspices of Lamamra.
It concluded by reiterating the UN’s commitment to working with all relevant stakeholders to end the conflict, starting with an immediate cessation of hostilities.
“An agreement on a ceasefire would be the single-most effective way to strengthen civilian protection. This is true for El Fasher and all of the Sudan,” the UN statement asserted.